LAEP 2021 Annual Report: Virtual Reality

VIRTUAL

OUR VISION & MISSION

LAEP envisions a world where empowered learning communities foster hope and opportunity for all.

Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advances educational equity. Together with families, schools and the community, LAEP facilitates access to and opportunities for quality educational and wellness practices so that children thrive from diapers to diplomas.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Letter

Early

CORE

The

2021 Annual Impact Report - Los Angeles Education Partnership

Highlighting

Year 2021:

virtual reality

1, 2020—June

LAEP BOARD OF DIRECTORS

July 1, 2020—June 30, 2021

PRESIDENT & CEO

Michele Broadnax, MBA Los Angeles Education Partnership

OFFICERS

Greg Durkin Chair Guts + Data

G. Mark Santa-Anna Vice Chair GMSA Legal

Sapna Shah Vice Chair Angeles Investments

DIRECTORS

Gio Aliano, AIA Abode Communities

C. Perry Bankston, Ph.D. Jet Propulsion Laboratory/ Caltech (Retired)

Yvette Gabrielian Kroll Associates, Inc.

Altagracia Garcia Community Organizer

Rod Hamilton WRH Advisors, LLC

Elsa Luna Treasurer

Southern California Public Radio

Marcia Gonzales-Kimbrough Secretary Deputy City Attorney (Retired)

Karen Hill Scott, Ed.D. Child Development & Policy Expert

Trevor Jackson Aksia, LLC

Daniele Johnson Araujo State Bank of India (California)

Yadira S. Perez, Ed.D. Lynwood Unified School District

Sylvia Rousseau, Ed.D. USC-Rossier School of Education (Professor Emerita)

Dear LAEP Community,

In March of 2020, all of LAEP’s programs were forced to go virtual, triggering the most challenging pivot in LAEP’s history.

How would we build community and meaningful connection—so vital to our work—in this virtual reality? How would we uphold our mission to advance educational equity during this crisis while being physically distant? How would we support the communities that needed more help than ever while navigating our own individual and family pandemic stress and experiences?

As it turns out, the answer was simple: Be LAEP.

The solutions were not simple, and they were not by any means easy, but they were true to who we are. Resilient. Compassionate. Scrappy. Adaptable. Never willing to take no for an answer, always able to find a way. Community-centered. Relationship-driven. Strengths-based.

LAEP is an organization of leaders, but we couldn’t lead through the pandemic the way we led before it. Again, we grounded ourselves in who LAEP is, in authenticity and connection, as we led the way forward. We adapted, supported, upheld, lifted, and overcame—because that is LAEP.

This 2020-2021 annual report highlights the data and stories from a fully virtual fiscal year, as our communities navigated virtual reality. We are proud to say that our organization not only survived, but we grew to fill new needs and to ensure that we could continue to support our most at-promise children, families, and communities. Committed supporters and partners like you made this possible.

True character emerges when a crisis hits, and we are proud of the character LAEP demonstrated during this time. While our society continues to unpack the long-term impacts of the pandemic on our children and communities, we know that we will continue to transform education amidst new and emerging needs with your support. We’ll be LAEP.

Thank you for being LAEP with us and advancing educational equity.

In partnership,

Michele Broadnax, MBA President & Chief Executive Officer Greg Durkin Chair, Board of Directors

WHAT WE DO

Equity at Our Center, Communities at Our Core—from Diapers to Diplomas

Systemic barriers result in an uneven playing field for learning and achievement. At LAEP, we remove these barriers by promoting agency, building capacity, and focusing on systems change. A child’s success requires a solid foundation— and we know the strongest supports already exist within the homes and communities we serve. We build upon these strengths and break down barriers by using a community-led and culturally responsive approach in partnership with parents, educators, and students. This support begins with parents-to-be, who are their child’s first teacher; extends to high school graduates; and covers all ages in between—along with educators at every level.

EARLY CHILDHOOD & FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

LAEP’s Early Childhood & Family Engagement programs build school readiness in children ages 0 to 5, their families, and neighboring schools. We foster catalytic change by working with families and leading community initiatives that improve early childhood systems and access to resources—all at no cost to families.

TRANSFORM SCHOOLS (K-12)

LAEP’s Transform Schools model uniquely emphasizes both integrated student and family supports as well as teaching and learning. LAEP’s community school model aligns community resources and school assets to build collaborative, problemsolving systems that remove barriers to learning and transform schools into culturally vibrant educational centers that are hubs for integrated services as well as student, family, and community engagement. Our teaching and learning coordinators provide coaching and professional development, and they build educator networks to promote vision- and mission-driven schools that strategically plan for and implement positive change.

CORE (Cultivating Organizational Resilience & Empowerment)

Building on LAEP’s expertise in employee well-being and shared leadership models, LAEP provides workshops and coaching to help high-stress work environments become trauma-responsive and resilient—safe, respectful communities that promote well-being for all members of the workforce.

LAEP’s Work Spans Across California

LAEP worked with thousands of educators, students, families, and community members throughout California in 2020—2021.

• Early Head Start in South LA, Inglewood, and Hawthorne

• Best Start Community in the Northeast San Fernando Valley

• Transform Schools partner schools in South LA, East LA, and the San Fernando Valley

• 21CSLA provided CORE work for educational leaders in Imperial, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties

• Additional CORE workshops and coaching with educators throughout California, as far north as Alameda and Sacramento Counties

But in 2020-2021, California went from a geographically widespread state to a socially distanced and virtual one. So did LAEP’s work.

OFFICE IN

LOS ANGELES

2020-2021: VIRTUAL REALITY

In March 2020, COVID-19 changed daily life for us all. However, for our most at-promise communities, the impact was even more pronounced. Higher rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths for Black and Brown people. Challenges accessing technology that was now required to access critical services. Being cut off from necessary resources due to closures, lack of transportation, and other factors. Job loss. Juggling children at home while having to work, with no reliable childcare options. Increased food insecurity. Learning, often in a second language, from a screen, often with the distractions of other family members in the household trying to do the same. All during a time of social unrest and continued, exacerbated systemic racism.

For an organization like LAEP that builds community to transform education, 2020 required us to pivot in ways we had never before imagined—and to sustain that work for more than a year. Because inequities didn’t disappear when we retreated into our homes. In fact, they worsened. And at LAEP, we refused to accept that. LAEP staff were forced to maintain physical distance while keeping our communities—parents, schools, students, educators, and partners— socially connected. This was our virtual reality.

EARLY CHILDHOOD & FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

Healthy children. Informed families. Activated communities.

EARLY HEAD START

Screen time is something that should usually be limited for babies and toddlers, but like many families across the country, LAEP’s Early Head Start program participants had to make an exception during the pandemic. Home visits and socialization groups became virtual events. We provided tablets and internet to families who didn’t have them so they could participate in virtual offerings, and we conducted “home visits” over Zoom or, when needed because of the family’s technology access, the phone. Virtual craft sessions and lessons used only objects families already had around the house.

During this time, we also expanded Early Head Start to serve families in Hawthorne—families we didn’t meet in person the entire year, but whom we connected with virtually to ensure they had the support they needed.

Though virtually, families continued to engage with early childhood programs throughout the year. They attended group events and workshops, brought LAEP staff into their homes virtually, volunteered their time, and engaged with LAEP support.

Early Head Start staff supported families navigating obstacles to getting their babies and toddlers necessary preventative care. Despite COVID-19 exposure concerns and shutdowns, by the end of the year, 78% of children were up-to-date on their dental checkups, 84% on their well baby checkups, and 96% on their immunizations.

177 Despite the many stresses of the pandemic, parents in our communities stayed committed to their role as their child’s first teacher, and we were honored to support them in that critical role.

Early Head Start

infants and toddlers from 160 families enrolled in Early Head Start

parents-to-be received prenatal and postnatal support as well as guidance on nutrition, newborn parenting, and more

of Early Head Start children met or exceeded benchmarks in each developmental domain

zip codes where LAEP offers Early Head Start programming (Inglewood, Hawthorne, and South LA)

of parents said Early Head Start helped them learn positive ways to cope with stress

children enrolled in Early Head Start had a diagnosed disability or developmental delay

of Early Head Start-eligible children in South LA were served by LAEP’s program this year

BEST

The Northeast Valley Best Start Community, facilitated by LAEP, brought all of their meetings, gatherings, and trainings online when the pandemic hit. They coordinated virtual opportunities for community voting on projects as well as other virtual community engagement.

Northeast Valley Best Start Community’s Participatory Budgeting Social Resource Project

START COMMUNITY In 2020, NEV-Best Start community members began a nine-month Participatory Budget Project (PBP) process, which empowered community members to decide together how to spend public money. They:

• Received training on the PBP process

• Identified areas of need

• Opened applications for funding of projects meeting the community-identified needs

• Voted on proposed projects

• Awarded grants to winning projects

Eleven agencies drew more than 1,000 community member votes online to choose the 2021 grant recipients: AWOKE, Her Vaga Bound Roots, Pacoima Charter Elementary, and Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural. Each grantee received $45,000.

These organizations’ work under this grant is taking place now. Activities include mental health workshops, college application workshops, community art events, and bilingual and multicultural storytimes.

Best Start Community

families received holiday gifts of toys, games, books, and gift cards

granted to Northeast San Fernando Valley community events and projects

hot meal packages from local vendors provided to San Fernando Valley families

community logins to virtual NEV-Best Start events

NEV-Best Start Community Engagement Meetings

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“When my child started the Early Head Start program, he could hardly speak many words. Now, he is learning and speaking more. Thank you for always being there, for having patience and affection while teaching. And thank you for assisting us in the process of getting our son an IEP (Individualized Education Program).”

– Early Head Start Parent

“As a young parent with two kids on the way and also going to school, it’s been very hard, but Early Head Start has taught me so much: to be more patient and to be an advocate for my child.”

– Early Head Start Parent

Focusing Early Head Start Parent Education Sessions on Mental Health and Other COVID-Related Topics

SNAPSHOTS

Navigating Obstacles to Literacy

Early Head Start stresses the importance of reading to our littlest learners. However, when buying books was financially prohibitive and libraries closed—and when many parents feared contact with objects shared by others due to virus spread—many of our families lost access to books to read to their children. Our Early Head Start educators jumped into action, helping parents find free digital books and storytime videos. They even helped parents make their own books from household supplies!

Addressing Food Insecurity

Physical distancing did not stop LAEP from ensuring our families had the supports they needed, including food. Food insecurity was a priority area to address through both Early Head Start and NEV-Best Start, so each team coordinated deliveries of hot meals and fresh produce for their families.

The Early Head Start team also continued to ensure that families had access to other food supports and delivered diapers, formula, and other baby essentials that families needed throughout the year.

Virtual Cooking Classes

LAEP partnered with RootDownLA to provide health-conscious virtual cooking classes for our early childhood families in both our Early Head Start program and our Best Start Community. Participants learned cost-effective healthy cooking tips— including safe, fun ways to bring their children into the kitchen—and made recipes like veggie-stuffed quesadillas, healthy dressings, red lentil soup, and a red quinoa and kale salad.

TRANSFORM SCHOOLS

Resourced schools. Collaborative leadership. Empowered youth.

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

Creating connection is what LAEP’s community schools are all about. Connections to resources, connections to the community, connections to each other. When life went virtual, those connections became challenging to create—but they became even more important, both inside and outside of the virtual classroom. Although the school year was virtual, LAEP conducted more than 1,300 activities, which engaged students, parents, staff, and community members 47,000 times!

LAEP uses data from school needs assessments to ensure that our community schools are equity-driven as well as student- and family-centered. Needs assessments during the 2020-2021 school year illuminated continued pre-pandemic needs as well as needs created or amplified by the pandemic, such as:

• Mental health

• Food

• Dental care

• School supplies

• COVID-19 disease and vaccine information

In addition to providing direct support, LAEP connected with more than 40 new partners to meet these needs. Virtual and remote support activities included:

“The programs and activities that LAEP coordinated for Belvedere Elementary School (movie and paint night, for instance) were really important to me and my kids because they took place during a time that we felt isolated from everyone. These interactions with other people helped my kids understand that they were not alone and that everyone was going through the same experiences. I learned the importance of community and how when we unite, we can become part of something bigger.”

– Susana Juarez, Parent at Belvedere Elementary School

• Creating safe spaces for students to engage their interests, passions, and needs—including a girls’ mental health group, student advocacy groups, literacy groups, and gardening, robotics, and anime clubs

• Distributing more than 2,000 backpacks with school supplies, 1,500 food boxes, 500 dental care bags, and 1,000 meal vouchers

• Organizing a COVID-19 vaccine clinic with Torres High School, reaching 400 East LA families

• Providing more than 5,000 families with direct support related to school protocols and mandates, technology, and COVID-19

• Connecting English Language Learners and Special Education students to added resources, including academic learning groups to support their unique needs

• Facilitating parent workshops on taxes, voting rights, and supports for those who are undocumented

partner schools in South LA, East LA, and the San Fernando Valley

students enrolled in LAEP’s partner community schools

of students at partner schools are socioeconomically disadvantaged

students served at LAEP Teaching & Learning school sites

schools in East LA received CORE wellbeing trainings and up to $2K for staff wellness kits or spaces

families received personalized support around technology use, LAUSD virtual and hybrid learning protocols, and COVID-19 precautions and mandates

“I’ve participated in virtual mock interviews with LAEP, and it’s amazing to interact with the students in this way. It's really great that these students are taking advantage of the opportunity to learn how to talk to strangers, to learn what a job interview is like—before they’re even in college. It’s really inspiring to hear them tell you about themselves and what they do.”

– Binuri Fonseca, Community Outreach Officer at Royal Business Bank

COLLEGE & CAREER

LAEP’s college and career pathways programming supports the creation of college-going cultures at all schools. It starts by providing activities like career days and college fairs at the elementary and middle school levels. At our partner high schools, we organize resources to provide students and their families with in-depth college and career workshops, one-on-one application support, job readiness trainings, and more.

This programming was especially critical for juniors and seniors during the pandemic, as they prepared to launch into post-secondary options in an extremely uncertain world. Our programming couldn’t stop, so we met those students where they were: in virtual reality.

Virtual Volunteering

LAEP, especially our College & Career team, relies on professional volunteers from a variety of industries to support activities like mock interviews, career days, and financial aid workshops. When we had to take that programming virtual, our amazing volunteers rose to the challenge! These critical programs continued thanks to the pivoting of LAEP’s staff, partner schools, and volunteers.

career fairs, and workshops on topics like financial literacy, resume preparation, networking, and workplace and email etiquette

in brand new micro-scholarships awarded to 30 graduating seniors to use for college transition expenses, supporting successful college entry

high school seniors accessed college & career workshops and office hours, with more than 800 of them receiving one-on-one support for college and FAFSA application submission

students were matched to paid internships to develop practical job skills through hands-on work experience

students earned a workforce certificate by participating in a resume-building workshop, interviewing skills workshop, and mock interview

SNAPSHOTS

Mindful Gardeners

At Griffith STEAM Middle School, LAEP’s Community School Coordinator partnered with the school’s Psychiatric Social Worker to support Mindful Gardeners. Seven passionate, dedicated students connected to promote mental health to students, teachers, staff, parents, and the community through their project, “Water your plants, water your mind.”

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“Numerous studies have proven the healing ability of plants towards our mental health, and we decided to use this as an opportunity to help others to learn and care for their mental health because the pandemic has jeopardized the well-being of peoples’ mental health.”

Students as Leaders

Four students at University Pathways Public Service Academy (“The U”) received a full scholarship to Coro’s Youth Fellows Program, a six-week, immersive summer leadership academy. The LAEP Community School Coordinator connected students with the opportunity and supported them in applying.

One of the selected students, Beverley, said of the Coro program experience, “It was so great to meet other students from other schools and outside of my community. We connected over our shared lived experiences and learned a lot together. I really learned to use my voice—to speak up and be confident in what I believe in and who I am. I was affirmed by the cohort and facilitators that my opinions and thoughts are valuable. They reaffirmed what my school leaders have been telling me, that I can do great things.”

That is just one way LAEP has helped Beverley connect. “When school was virtual, I wanted more connection. LAEP was helpful in always reaching out and creating opportunities for us to connect during distance learning and even as we transitioned to in-person and hybrid models. Since the first day that I started at The U as a freshman, the Community School Coordinator has always been there for me. I have felt guided and supported by him all these years. I can openly talk about my fears and struggles, and the LAEP team constantly follows up with me and connects me to the right resources and opportunities, like the Coro Youth Fellows. Their support is truly irreplaceable! I do not know where I would be without them.”

– Nathalie, 8th Grade Student at Griffith STEAM Magnet Middle School

SNAPSHOTS

Connecting Virtual Classrooms with Social-Emotional Learning

The community schools team collaborated with teachers on in-class supports, like social-emotional learning (SEL) content and workshops, to holistically meet the needs of students and to mitigate the behavioral impacts of distance learning.

“The SEL workshops that LAEP provided for my classroom were meaningful and necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lessons taught students how to better cope with their emotions and learn how to have self-control. They learned interpersonal skills that were vital for school and life success. The workshops taught students social-emotional skills that benefitted them academically and helped build community by cultivating a culture of trust in a shared virtual space. This helped to build relationships and helped students build empathy and understanding of each other. SEL lessons helped build connections in the virtual community.”

– Ms. Webster, 5th Grade Teacher at 109th Street STEAM Elementary School

Spotlight on Teaching & Learning

When the pandemic hit, LAEP’s Teaching & Learning team had to adjust to provide virtual coaching and instructional support—and to support the educators in their transition to and through a virtual learning environment. For example, Teaching & Learning Coordinators coached and supported teachers to shift paradigms and build both real-time lessons and lessons students would learn on their own outside of Zoom sessions, developing new teaching strategies to engage students. They also helped school teams focus on fostering relationships in this virtual environment to engage students and support their social-emotional learning. Additionally, they created opportunities for each campus to improve faculty and staff wellness, including virtual team-building activities, stress reduction, and opportunities for teachers to connect with each other.

CORE (Cultivating Organizational Resilience & Empowerment)

Trauma-informed practices. Thriving teachers. Collective well-being.

CORE

(Cultivating Organizational Resilience & Empowerment)

In the midst of a global pandemic, virtual learning, and heightened awareness of systemic racism, LAEP’s CORE (Cultivating Organizational Resilience & Empowerment) team had their work cut out for them in 2020-2021.

Educators were dealing with unprecedented challenges, unfamiliar teaching and learning environments, and trauma—both trauma from their own experiences and second-hand trauma through their students’ experiences.

Educators needed support for their own well-being—especially if they were to help their students through this stressful time.

In addition to creating new virtual workshops that directly addressed the co-pandemic and distance learning, the CORE team ensured that the themes of equity, racial healing, and dealing with uncertainty were woven into every CORE offering. A new Early Childhood CORE Coach role was also developed to support LAEP’s Early Childhood Educators in these areas, as well.

CORE Workshop Spotlight: “Resourcing for Resilience During Times of Uncertainty”

Teachers, school leaders, and counselors took time to reflect and consider the impact of the pandemic and systemic racism, not just on their students, but on their colleagues and loved ones. They walked away with next-day strategies to support the well-being of those they work with and serve.

What Is 21CSLA?

21CSLA is a statewide network of collaboration and shared resilience-building for educational leaders designed to create more equitable schools for underserved student groups.

96% of LAEP’s 21CSLA participants reported that content was relevant to their school or district needs, sessions furthered their understanding of equity-related issues and informed their leadership, professional learning sessions were satisfying overall, and they could implement new strategies into daily work due to their participation.

21ST CENTURY CALIFORNIA SCHOOL LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

During this time, CORE also expanded into a new role: Regional Academy for the 21st Century California School Leadership Academy (21CSLA) in Imperial, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties. Launching 21CSLA programming during the pandemic meant that LAEP had to connect with new educational leaders virtually—and provide an effective virtual space for these leaders to connect with each other.

So, the CORE team took to creating deep, robust programming for 21CSLA participants. It included:

• In-depth professional learning workshops for teams to engage in together

• Communities of practice with others in similar roles

• One-on-one principal coaching

County needs assessments and participant experiences drove content to ensure that the professional learning was relevant to participants, and each meeting was designed so participants came away with bite-sized actions they could implement immediately. All of this was offered to educational leaders in the region at no cost to them.

““

“This is an incredible opportunity to connect, identify, and continue to learn about how we can and NEED to grow.”

– Beth Fisher, Principal at Bernardo Yorba Middle School

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“Every meeting I had with my coach, there was always an action. ‘What are you going to move forward with?’ There was follow up. It was a cycle of effective leadership. It was like, ‘Here’s what you’re going to try, and then we’ll come back and reflect on it.’ That kept me professionally motivated, and it kept me on my game. I feel better than ever in this job, and I feel very supported.”

– Kristin Risberg, Principal at Brea Canyon High School

“The role-alike communities of practice were really good. It’s really stretched our thinking, not by people telling us what to think or what to do next; it’s really just by asking really good questions that require digging deep within ourselves but also having these conversations with our colleagues, asking, ‘What else can we do?’”

– Brisa Huerta-Price, Director of State and Federal Programs at Calexico Unified School District

district, site, and teacher leaders participated in LAEP’s first year of 21CSLA

schools across all five counties were represented in LAEP’s 21CSLA Cohort 1

of principals agreed that their LAEP 21CSLA coach pushed them to reflect on practice, collect evidence, and implement improvement science to continue equity challenges on their campus

hours of workshops, communities of practice, and one-onone coaching were provided to each of the 33 participating principals through 21CSLA

schools served through LAEP’s 21CSLA have a student population that is more than 90% socioeconomically disadvantaged

Connecting with Other Educators to Make Immediate Impact on Their Own Campus

21CSLA gave the team at Scholarship Prep Santa Ana tangible ways to make immediate impact on their campus and connected them to others, in addition to helping them connect as a team of equity-centered practitioners.

The team led a professional development session for their school around trauma-informed practices. They also created a safe space for school staff to have a dialogue and build relationships with each other during the pandemic.

“Any principal who’s been a principal for more than a year knows that this is a pretty lonely job, and a job that a lot of people don’t understand. It felt really nice to have a thought partner and someone who’s been here before.”

– Dennise Allotey, Founding Teacher and Principal at Scholarship Prep Santa Ana

“[21CSLA] gives us the opportunity to apply what we’ve learned, to reflect on what we’ve applied on campus, and to collaborate with our role-alike colleagues as well as the coaches and our school site.”

– Sara Everett, Founding Third-grade Teacher and Dean of Culture at Scholarship Prep Santa Ana

SNAPSHOTS

Connecting with Students to Meet Their Needs

The team at San Diego County Office of Education’s Juvenile Court and Community Schools says 21CSLA allowed them to listen and collect relevant data as they process, reflect, and make decisions. JCCS Principal Gretchen Rhoads cited the collaboration with jobalike peers in the Community of Practice as particularly helpful.

Because of 21CSLA, Gretchen developed an empathy interview protocol for students, asking what they liked best about distance learning so the school could implement similar strategies as students returned to campus. The team also interviewed English Learner students to foster a better understanding of student needs. Additionally, her team worked on a toolbox to identify staff and student triggers along with de-escalation strategies.

Strengthening the School Team’s Connection to Each Other

“I feel better prepared to help students thrive and offer support in meaningful ways,” says Christine Stear, fifth-grade teacher at Dunn Elementary School. Collaborating with principal Mario Carranza, Christine developed processes so all voices are heard. Opening lines of communication has strengthened working relationships, allowing for intentional conversations to drive equitable student outcomes. The school community is no longer “operating as islands,” Christine says, “but as a collective group of individuals who see each other and hear each other.”

At Scholarship Prep Oceanside, principal Valerie Douglass is always striving to create an anti-racist and equityfocused school community inclusive of all staff, not just teachers. As a result of her team’s planning during 21CSLA sessions, the Scholarship Prep Oceanside leadership team is creating a structure and space for teachers to collaborate and discuss equity-focused instructional practices as well as to get student input around this shift on campus. Their reflective work helped them discover the importance of getting all stakeholders’ voices, and this is something they will continue to implement and emphasize.

Addressing systemic racism while virtual

As our nation came to a collective racial awakening and reckoning in 2020, LAEP renewed its commitment to racial awareness and justice through our advancement of educational equity. While this re-commitment also had to be done virtually, it could not wait for us to be back in-person.

Building Educational Communities that Support Social Justice

Over the course of the 2020-2021 fiscal year, our team deepened our own racial understanding and practice by:

• Participating in a multi-session professional development led by LAEP Board Member Dr. Sylvia Rousseau, USC Professor of Clinical Education and an expert on diversity, urban school reform, and school leadership

• Forming an African American Initiative Think Tank that met regularly to develop internal communication channels and events to deepen staff learnings about the Black student and family experience as well as an action plan to help us better serve Black students and families

• Hosting Transform Schools for Black Lives, LAEP’s first virtual forum around this conversation

Transform Schools for Black Lives

Nearly 300 school principals, school leaders, early childhood administrators, and systems change practitioners gathered virtually for the event, which featured:

• A panel discussion with Dr. Jeff Duncan-Andrade; Dr. Frank Harris, III; Dr. Tyrone C. Howard; Dr. Dena Simmons; and Wendy McCulley

• Breakout sessions led by the panelists on topics such as achieving racial equity in schools, racial reckoning and reconciliation, building an equity initiative, and centering youth wellness and community responsiveness in schools

• A presentation by Amen Rahh, LAEP Partner Principal at University Pathways Public Service Academy

Participants walked away with insights on how to foster school communities that honor the voices of Black students and staff. 100% of those surveyed said the learning would make a positive impact on their work. School leaders committed to building school communities that support social justice as a result of the event. Just a few of their actionable next steps:

“Integrate myself into the community, and begin to disentangle myself from institutionalization.”

“Create breakout rooms during class sessions to check in on students and listen.”

“Start a student forum where students feel comfortable to share what they need to say.”

“Create a culture of getting to know students first.”

This is only the beginning. LAEP is committed to moving our work forward to serve Black students and families. The work continues.

OUR FINANCIALS

Statements of Financial Position 2020 2021

Assets

Cash and cash equivalents $1,825,564 $ 806,135

Other assets 1,105,515 2,141,006

Total Assets $2,931,079 $ 2,947,141

Liabilities

Accounts payable and other liabilities $ 608,334 $ 771,507

PPP loan payable 555,945 123,550

Total Liabilities $ 1,164,279 $ 895,057

Net Assets

Without donor restrictions $ 538,817 $ 1,368,171

With donor restrictions 1,227,983 836,913

Total Net Assets $1,766,800 $2,205,084

Statements of Activities

Support and Revenue Fiscal Year Ending June 30 2020 2021

Corporate $ 64,190 $ 44,150

Fee for Service $ 2,018,481 $ 1,098,891

Foundation $ 1,697,593 $ 923,036

Government $ 2,783,872 $ 4,683,412

Individual $ 13,006 $ 14,056

Interest Income $ 550 $ 1,034

Other/PPP/In-Kind $ 416,112 $ 856,132

TOTAL SUPPORT & REVENUE $ 6,993,804 $ 7,620,711

TOTAL FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES $ 6,365,951 $ 7,182,427

CHANGE IN NET ASSETS $ 627,853 $ 438,284

NET ASSETS, BEGINNING OF YEAR $ 1,138,947 $ 1,766,800

NET ASSETS, END OF YEAR $ 1,766,800 $ 2,205,084

OUR SUPPORTERS

Thank you for being champions of educational equity!

Generosity is powerful. With your help, LAEP can support the whole child on their whole educational journey. Thank you.

Foundations

Audrey & Sidney Irmas Charitable Foundation

Carol & James Collins Foundation

Cotsen Foundation for the Art of Teaching

Don and Lorraine Freeberg Foundation

Dwight Stuart Youth Fund

FEDCO Charitable Foundation

George & Cynthia Mitchell Foundation

Greater Los Angeles Foundation Green Foundation Hannon Foundation

Joseph Drown Foundation just keep livin foundation

Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Sidney Stern Memorial Trust Stuart Foundation

Corporations

Anonymous

Anthem Blue Cross

GBC International Bank Foundation

Los Angeles Lakers Foundation

MUFG Union Bank Foundation

Nuveen

Royal Business Bank Springboard Collaborative State Bank of India (California)

Valley Presbyterian Hospital

Government

California Department of Education

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Head Start

U.S. Department of Education Full Service Community Schools

El Nido Family Centers

Individuals

Anonymous

Marcia Alper Rosie Alvarez Francisco Angel Perry Bankston Michele Broadnax Patrice Cantarelli

David Chernof Lisa Collins Tamra Dickerson Greg Durkin Tamara Elmore Louis Friedman Paul Gaffner

Brian Garcia Melanie Glover Debra Gonzales Marcia Gonzales-Kimbrough Andrea Griego Jose Henriquez Alexandre Hoerner

Kristen Inocco Alicia Jacobs David Kietzman Suresh Kumar Sharon Lowe

Elsa Luna Loretta Mockler Sharyn Muhammad Bakeer Malinda Muller Steve Nagler Maira Nevarez Ellen Pais

Aaron Price

Sylvia Rousseau, Ed.D. Sandra Rygel

G. Mark Santa-Anna Sapna Shah Keith Stolzenbach

Lupe Vela

Ana Sheila Victorino Laurel Wruble

In-Kind

Anonymous American Red Cross Baby2Baby Brandy Michelle Garcia

CELCO Construction Service Inc Corporation for National and Community Service - VISTA Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, 7th District

District 2, Alex Padilla Iglesia de Jesucristo Tiempo de Restauracion Kaistro LLC (Monica Kaiser)

LA Care Panda Express Starbucks Super Fresh Distributors Teaching Strategies

SUPPORT TRANSFORMATION

Consider making a financial donation to LAEP, which will provide direct and structural supports to empower educators, children, and families. To donate, return the enclosed envelope or visit laep.org/support-us.

Gifts listed were received July 1, 2020—June 30, 2021.

MOVING FORWARD

Continued Commitment to Community-Powered Education

Los Angeles Education Partnership continues to advance educational equity every day. During a global health pandemic and racial injustice, we pressed on. As activities transitioned to hybrid and in-person formats in fiscal year 2021-2022, we have yet again adapted, we have re-built community around evolving and emerging needs, and we have pressed on. We will not stop; we will continue to press on—for the community, with the community, from diapers to diplomas.

Supporters and partners like you make it all possible. Visit laep.org to donate, volunteer, or enlist our services.

Together, we can transform education so that every child thrives.